Controversial Ukrainian ex-politician Portnov shot dead in Madrid, media reports

Editor's note: This is a developing story.

Andriy Portnov, a former top official in Ukraine's ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, was shot dead by unidentified attackers outside the American School in Madrid, Reuters reported on May 21, citing a source close to the investigation.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainska Pravda, and other outlets have also reported the story, citing their sources.

Portnov, a lawyer and a politician, served in the administration of then-President Yanukovych between 2010 and 2014. After the EuroMaidan Revolution, he lived alternately abroad and in Ukraine and was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2021 over allegations that he was involved in corruption, particularly in the judiciary.

The shooting took place at around 9:15 a.m. local time, with Portnov being shot at five times and suffering at least three wounds to his head and back, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported, citing undisclosed police sources. The shot to the head proved fatal, the outlet wrote.

Two or three people are believed to be involved in the attack, though no arrests have been made so far.  The newspaper's sources suggested debt issues as a possible motive.

Portnov was driving a Mercedes car when he was surprised by the attackers. He was found at the entrance to the American School, El Pais reported. Emergency services found the man dead upon their arrival, according to the outlet.

Portnov was known as one of the most litigious Ukrainian ex-officials. He filed a defamation lawsuit against several media outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, over a reference to him as a "pro-Russian" politician.

The lawsuit concerned a story by Glib Kanievskyi, then a Ukrainian journalist and currently a defense ministry official, published in several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, in September 2023. A Kyiv court ruled in Portnov's favor in September 2024.